I present two catalogs. The first one contains the observed and infered data of all of 133 stars wich harbor confirmed extrasolar planets. For these 133 stars I report the following data: stellar mass; spectral type; luminosity class; stellar rotation period; stellar metalicity, [Fe/H]; absolute luminosity; stellar radius; stellar temperature; age and number of planets host by the star. The second catalogue lists data for 156 confirmed extrasolar planets orbiting around the 133 stars. This catalogue contains the following extrasolar planet data: minimum mass and orbital elements; inclinations; planet radius; average distance to its parent star; tidal torque sign (if the stellar rotation period is reported); total irradiance assuming zero albedo. The usefulness of these catalogs is that they contain in a single paper all of the available data of the extrasolar planets, and their parent stars. Several planets whose orbits are completely contained inside the star's syncronous orbit, are reported.
We present the results of detailed spectroscopic abundance analyses for 18 elements in 31 nearby stars with planets. The resulting abundances are combined with other similar studies of nearby stars with planets and compared to a sample of nearby stars without detected planets. We find some evidence for abundance differences between these two samples for Al, Si and Ti. Some of our results are in conflict with a recent study of stars with planets in the SPOCS database. We encourage continued study of the abundance patterns of stars with planets to resolve these discrepancies.
We compare the Li abundances of a sample of stars with planets discovered with the Doppler method to a sample of stars without detected planets. We prepared the samples by combining the Li abundances reported in several recent studies in a consistent way. Our results confirm recent claims that the Li abundances of stars with planets are smaller than those of stars without planets near the solar temperature. We also find that the vsini and $R^{'}_{\rm HK}$ anomalies correlate with the Li abundance anomalies. These results suggest that planet formation processes have altered the rotation and Li …
When extrasolar planets are observed to transit their parent stars, we are granted unprecedented access to their physical properties. It is only for transiting planets that we are permitted direct estimates of the planetary masses and radii, which provide the fundamental constraints on models of their physical structure. In particular, precise determination of the radius may indicate the presence (or absence) of a core of solid material, which in turn would speak to the canonical formation model of gas accretion onto a core of ice and rock embedded in a protoplanetary disk. Furthermore, the ra…
Existing upper limits on variations in the photospheric radius of the Sun during the solar magnetic activity cycle are at a fractional amplitude of 2x10^{-4}. At that level, the transit duration of a close-in planet around a Sun-like star could change by a fraction of a second per year. This magnitude of variation is larger than that caused by other studied effects (owing to proper motion or general-relativistic effects), and should be included in the analysis of constraints on multi-planet systems from transit timing. A temporal correlation between the transit duration and spectroscopic measu…
The results of a new spectroscopic analysis of HD75289, recently reported to harbor a Jovian-mass planet, are presented. From high-resolution, high-S/N ratio spectra, we derive [Fe/H] = +0.28 +/- 0.05 for this star, in agreement with the spectroscopic study of Gratton et al., published 10 years ago. In addition, we present a re-analysis of the spectra of Upsilon And and Tau Boo; our new parameters for these two stars are now in better agreement with photometrically-derived values and with the recent spectroscopic analyses of Fuhrmann, et al. We also report on extended abundance analyses of 14 …
We investigate the effects on extrasolar giant planets [EGPs] of intense irradiation by their parent stars, describing the issues involved in treating the model atmosphere problem correctly. We treat the radiative transfer in detail, allowing the flux from the parent star to interact with all relevant depths of the planetary atmosphere, with no need for a pre-assumed albedo. We present a low-resolution optical and near-IR spectrum of a close-in EGP, focusing on the differences from an isolated planet. In our dust-free planetary atmospheres we find that Rayleigh scattering increases the EGP's f…
We present a new catalogue of variable stars compiled from data taken for the University of New South Wales Extrasolar Planet Search. From 2004 October to 2007 May, 25 target fields were each observed for 1-4 months, resulting in ~87000 high precision light curves with 1600-4400 data points. We have extracted a total of 850 variable light curves, 659 of which do not have a counterpart in either the General Catalog of Variable Stars, the New Suspected Variables catalogue or the All Sky Automated Survey southern variable star catalogue. The catalogue is detailed here, and includes 142 Algol-type…
The results of new spectroscopic analyses of 20 recently reported extrasolar planet parent stars are presented. The companion of one of these stars, HD 10697, has recently been shown to have a mass in the brown dwarf regime; we find [Fe/H] $= +0.16$ for it. For the remaining sample, we derive [Fe/H] estimates ranging from -0.41 to $+0.37$, with an average value of $+0.18 \pm 0.19$. If we add the 13 stars included in the previous papers of this series and 6 other stars with companions below the 11 M$_{\rm Jup}$ limit from the recent studies of Santos et al., we derive $<$[Fe/H]$> = +0.17 \pm 0.…
Nine extrasolar planets with masses between 110 and 430M are known to transit their star. The knowledge of their masses and radii allows an estimate of their composition, but uncertainties on equations of state, opacities and possible missing energy sources imply that only inaccurate constraints can be derived when considering each planet separately. Aims: We seek to better understand the composition of transiting extrasolar planets by considering them as an ensemble, and by comparing the obtained planetary properties to that of the parent stars. Methods: We use evolution models and constraint…
The results of new spectroscopic analyses of 30 stars with giant planet and/or brown dwarf companions are presented. Values for Teff and [Fe/H] are used in conjunction with Hipparcos data and Padova isochrones to derive masses, ages, and theoretical surface gravities. These new data are combined with spectroscopic and photometric metallicity estimates of other stars harboring planets and published samples of F, G, and K dwarfs to compare several subsets of planet bearing stars with similarly well-constrained control groups. The distribution of [Fe/H] values continues the trend uncovered in pre…
We present a broad suite of models of extrasolar giant planets (EGP's), ranging in mass from 0.3 to 15 Jupiter masses. The models predict luminosity (both reflected and emitted) as a function of age, mass, deuterium abundance and distance from parent stars of various spectral type. We also explore the effects of helium mass fraction, rotation rate and the presence of a rock-ice core. The models incorporate the most accurate available equation of state for the interior, including a new theory for the enhancement of deuterium fusion by electron screening which is potentially important in these l…
We report the relative abundances of 17 elements in the atmosphere of the white dwarf star GD 362, material that, very probably, was contained previously in a large asteroid or asteroids with composition similar to the Earth/Moon system. The asteroid may have once been part of a larger parent body not unlike one of the terrestrial planets of our solar system.
Jupiter and Saturn have extended, nearly toroidal atmospheres composed of material ejected from their moons or rings. Here we suggest that similar atmospheres must exist around giant extrasolar planets and might be observable in a transit of the parent star. Observation of such an atmosphere would be a marker for the presence of orbiting debris in the form of rings or moons that might otherwise be too small to be detected.
We investigate a new approach to the detection of companions to extrasolar planets beyond the transit method. We discuss the possibility of the existence of binary planets. We develop a method based on the imaging of a planet-companion as an unresolved system (but resolved from its parent star). It makes use of planet-companion mutual phenomena, namely mutual transits and mutual shadows. We show that companions can be detected and their radius measured down to lunar sizes.
We point out some advantages of making observations of extrasolar planets in linearly polarized (LP) light. Older cool stars have quite low levels (~ 10^-4 to 10^-5) of fractional LP, while extrasolar planets can have relatively high fractional LP (~0.1). Observations in LP light can therefore significantly enhance contrast between the planet and its parent star. Data on LP as a function of planetary orbital phase can be used to diagnose the properties (e.g., composition, size, and shape) of the scatterers in the planetary atmosphere. We discuss the feasibility of LP observations of extrasolar…
The Be II 3131 A doublet has been observed in the solar-type stars 16 Cyg A & B and in the late G-type star rho 1 Cnc, to derive their beryllium abundances. 16 Cyg A & B show similar (solar) beryllium abundances while 16 Cyg B, which has been proposed to have a planetary companion of ~2 M_Jup, is known to be depleted in lithium by a factor larger than 6 with respect to 16 Cyg A. Differences in their rotational histories which could induce different rates of internal mixing of material, and the ingestion of a similar planet by 16 Cyg A are discussed as potential explanations. The existence of t…
Terrestrial planetary systems may exist around nearby stars as the Earth-sized counterparts to the many giant planets already discovered within the solar neighborhood. In this chapter we first discuss the numerous techniques which have been suggested to search for extrasolar terrestrial planets. We then focus on the expected results from that technique in which an orbiting telescope or interferometer is used to obtain a visible or infrared spectrum of a planet, without contamination from the parent star. We show examples of such spectra for selected cases: the present Earth, the Neoproterozoic…
The search for extrasolar Earth-like planets is underway. Over 100 extrasolar giant planets are known to orbit nearby sun-like stars, including several in multiple-planet systems. These planetary systems are stepping stones for the search for Earth-like planets; the technology development, observational strategies, and science results can all be applied to Earth-like planets. Stars much less massive than the sun the most common stars in our Galaxy are being monitored for the gravitational influence of Earth-like planets. Although Earth-like planets orbiting sun-like stars are much more difficu…
Most observed extrasolar planets have masses similar to, but orbits very different from, the gas giants of our solar system. Many are much closer to their parent stars than would have been expected and their orbits are often rather eccentric. We show that some of these planets might have formed in systems much like our solar system, i.e. in systems where the gas giants were originally on orbits with a semi-major axis of several au, but where the masses of the gas giants were all rather similar. If such a system is perturbed by another star, strong planet-planet interactions follow, causing the…
To describe the evaporation status of the extrasolar planets, we propose to consider an energy diagram in which the potential energy of the planets is plotted versus the energy received by the upper atmosphere. Here we present a basic method to estimate these quantities. For the potential energy, we include the modification of the gravity field by the tidal forces from the parent stars. This description allows a quick estimate of both the escape rate of the atmospheric gas and the lifetime of a planet against the evaporation process. In the energy diagram, we find an evaporation-forbidden regi…
This paper compares the statistical features of the sample of discovered extrasolar planets with those of the secondaries in nearby spectroscopic binaries, in order to enable us to distinguish between the two populations. Based on 32 planet candidates discovered until March 2000, we find that their eccentricity and period distribution are surprisingly similar to those of the binary population, while their mass distribution is remarkably different. The mass distributions definitely support the idea of two distinct populations, suggesting the planet candidates are indeed extrasolar planets. The …
Orbits of known extrasolar planets that are located outside the tidal circularization regions of their parent stars are often substantially eccentric. By contrast, planetary orbits in our Solar System are approximately circular, reflecting planet formation within a nearly axisymmetric, circumsolar disk. We propose that orbital eccentricities may be generated by divergent orbital migration of two planets in a viscously accreting circumstellar disk. The migration is divergent in the sense that the ratio of the orbital period of the outer planet to that of the inner planet grows. As the period ra…
Specially-designed microlensing searches, some of which have been underway for several years, are sensitive to extrasolar planets orbiting the most common stars in our Galaxy. Microlensing is particularly well-suited to the detection of Jupiter-mass planets orbiting their parent stars at several AU. Since Jovian analogs are thought to influence the subsequent evolution of most planetary systems, they are particularly important to study. The orbital radii and distances to the planetary systems probed by microlensing are larger than those currently studied by radial velocity techniques; the two …
Among the hot Jupiters that transit their parent stars known to date, the two best candidates to be observed with transmission spectroscopy in the mid-infrared (MIR) are HD189733b and HD209458b, due to their combined characteristics of planetary density, orbital parameters and parent star distance and brightness. Here we simulate transmission spectra of these two planets during their primary eclipse in the MIR, and we present sensitivity studies of the spectra to the changes of atmospheric thermal properties, molecular abundances and C/O ratios. Our model predicts that the dominant species abs…
Atmospheres of transiting extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) such as HD 209458 b must impose features on the spectra of their parent stars during transits; these features contain information about the physical conditions and chemical composition of the atmospheres. The most convenient observational index showing these features is the ``spectrum ratio'', defined as the wavelength-dependent ratio of spectra taken in and out of transit. I describe a model that estimates this ratio and its dependence upon parameters of the planetary atmosphere, including its cloud structure, temperature, chemical com…
We investigate the long-term dynamical stability of hypothetical moons orbiting extrasolar giant planets. Stellar tides brake a planet's rotation and, together with tidal migration, act to remove satellites; this process limits the lifetimes of larger moons in extrasolar planetary systems. Because more massive satellites are removed more quickly than less massive ones, we are able to derive an upper mass limit for those satellites that might have survived to the present day. For example, we estimate that no primordial satellites with masses greater than 7 x 10^{-7} M_Earth$ (~ \70km radius for…
Of the over 200 known extrasolar planets, 14 exhibit transits in front of their parent stars as seen from Earth. Spectroscopic observations of the transiting planets can probe the physical conditions of their atmospheres. One such technique can be used to derive the planetary spectrum by subtracting the stellar spectrum measured during eclipse (planet hidden behind star) from the combined-light spectrum measured outside eclipse (star + planet). Although several attempts have been made from Earth-based observatories, no spectrum has yet been measured for any of the established extrasolar planet…
We show that the surface gravity of a transiting extrasolar planet can be calculated from only the spectroscopic orbit of its parent star and the analysis of its transit light curve. This does not require additional constraints, such as are often inferred from theoretical stellar models or model atmospheres. The planet's surface gravity can therefore be measured precisely and from only directly observable quantities. We outline the method and apply it to the case of the first known transiting extrasolar planet, HD 209458b. We find a surface gravity of g_p = 9.28 +/- 0.15 m/s, which is an order…
The close-in extrasolar giant planets [CEGPs], $\ltorder$ 0.05 AU from their parent stars, may have a large component of optically reflected light. We present theoretical optical photometric light curves and polarization curves for the CEGP systems, from reflected planetary light. Different particle sizes of three condensates are considered. In the most reflective case, the variability is $\approx 100$ micromagnitudes, which will be easily detectable by the upcoming satellite missions MOST, COROT, and MONS, and possibly from the ground in the near future. The least reflective case is caused by…
There is evidence that the transiting planet HD 209458b has a large exosphere of neutral hydrogen, based on a 15% decrement in Lyman-alpha flux that was observed by Vidal-Madjar et al. during transits. Here we report upper limits on H-alpha absorption by the exosphere. The results are based on optical spectra of the parent star obtained with the Subaru High Dispersion Spectrograph. Comparison of the spectra taken inside and outside of transit reveals no exospheric H-alpha signal greater than 0.1% within a 5.1A band (chosen to have the same Delta_lambda/lambda as the 15% Ly-alpha absorption). T…
Among the hundred of known extrasolar planets, about 15% are closer than 0.1 AU from their parent stars. But there are extremely few detections of planets orbiting in less than 3 days. At this limit the planet HD209458b has been found to have an extended upper atmosphere of escaping hydrogen. This suggests that the so-called hot Jupiters which are close to their parent stars could evaporate. Here we estimate the evaporation rate of hydrogen from extrasolar planets in the star vicinity. With high exospheric temperatures, and owing to the tidal forces, planets evaporate through a geometrical blo…
Water is predicted to be among, if not the most abundant molecular species after hydrogen in the atmospheres of close-in extrasolar giant planets (hot-Jupiters) Several attempts have been made to detect water on an exoplanet, but have failed to find compelling evidence for it or led to claims that should be taken with caution. Here we report an analysis of recent observations of the hot-Jupiter HD189733b taken during the transit, where the planet passed in front of its parent star. We find that absorption by water vapour is the most likely cause of the wavelength-dependent variations in the ef…
Abundances of 22 elements have been determined from a high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectrum of HD19994, a star recently announced as harboring an extrasolar planet. A detailed spectroscopic analysis of this stars finds it to have a mass of 1.2+/-0.1Msun. HD19994 is found to be slightly enriched in "metals" relative to the Sun 9[Fe/H]=+0.09+/-0.05 and an average of all metals of [m/H]=+0.13), as are most stars known with extrasolar planets. In a search for possible signatures of accretion of metal-rich gas onto the parent stars (using HD19994 and published abundances for other stars), …
The ultra-precise photometric space satellite MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of STars) will provide the first opportunity to measure the albedos and scattered light curves from known short-period extrasolar planets. Due to the changing phases of an extrasolar planet as it orbits its parent star, the combined light of the planet-star system will vary on the order of tens of micromagnitudes. The amplitude and shape of the resulting light curve is sensitive to the planet's radius and orbital inclination, as well as the composition and size distribution of the scattering particles in the …
Extrasolar planets as light as a few Earths are now being detected. Such planets are likely not gas or ice giants. Here, we present a study on the possible properties of the small and cold extrasolar planets, applied to the case of the recently discovered planet OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb (Beaulieu et al. 2006). This planet (5.5[+5.5/-2.7] Earth masses) orbits 2.6[+1.5/-0.6]-astronomical units away from an old M-type star of the Galactic Bulge. The planet should be entirely frozen given the low surface temperature (35 to 47 K). However, depending on the rock-to-ice mass ratio in the planet, the radio…
Precision infrared photometry from Spitzer has enabled the first direct studies of light from extrasolar planets, via observations at secondary eclipse in transiting systems. Current Spitzer results include the first longitudinal temperature map of an extrasolar planet, and the first spectra of their atmospheres. Spitzer has also measured a temperature and precise radius for the first transiting Neptune-sized exoplanet, and is beginning to make precise transit timing measurements to infer the existence of unseen low mass planets. The lack of stellar limb darkening in the infrared facilitates p…
Many of the planets discovered via the radial velocity technique are hot Jupiters in 3-5 day orbits with ~10$% chance of transiting their parent star. However, radial velocity surveys for extra-solar planets generally require substantial amounts of large telescope time in order to monitor a sufficient number of stars due to the single-object capabilities of the spectrograph. A multi-object Doppler survey instrument has been developed which is based on the dispersed fixed-delay interferometer design. We present simulations of the expected results from the Sloan Doppler survey based on calculate…
In principle, the combined measurements of the mass and radius a giant exoplanet allow one to determine the relative fraction of hydrogen and helium and of heavy elements in the planet. However, uncertainties on the underlying physics imply that some known transiting planets appear anomalously large, and this generally prevent any firm conclusion when a planet is considered on an individual basis. On the basis of a sample of 9 transiting planets known at the time, Guillot et al. A&A 453, L21 (1996), concluded that all planets could be explained with the same set of hypotheses, either by large …
We review our present understanding of the physical properties of substellar objects, brown dwarfs and irradiated or non-irradiated gaseous exoplanets. This includes a description of their internal properties, mechanical structure and heat content, their atmospheric properties, thermal profile and emergent spectrum, and their evolution, in particular as irradiated companions of a close parent star. The general theory can be used to make predictions in term of detectability for the future observational projects. Special attention is devoted to the evolution of the two presently detected transit…
As the number of known planetary systems increases, the ability to follow-up and characterize the extent of any system becomes limited. This paper considers the use of specific angular momentum as a metric to prioritize future observations. We analyze 431 planets in 367 known extrasolar planetary systems from Butler et al. (2006) (including updates to their online catalog, current to April, 2011) and estimate each system's orbital angular momentum. The range of partition- ing of specific angular momentum in these systems is found to be large, spanning several orders of magnitude. The analysis …
We revisit the possibility of detecting an extrasolar planet around a background star as it crosses the fold caustic of a foreground binary lens. During such an event, the planet's flux can be magnified by a factor of ~100 or more. The detectability of the planet depends strongly on the orientation of its orbit relative to the caustic. If the source star is inside the inter-caustic region, detecting the caustic-crossing planet is difficult against the magnified flux of its parent star. In the more favorable configuration, when the star is outside the inter-caustic region when the planet crosse…
Ten years after the publication of the previous release, we present a new edition of the Asiago Supernova Catalogue updated to December 31, 1998 and containing data for 1447 supernovae and their parent galaxies\footnote{Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html}. In addition to list the data for a large number of new SNe, we made an effort to search the literature for new information on past SNe as well. We also tried to update and homogenize the data for the parent gal…
We build on recent new evolutionary models of Jupiter and Saturn and here extend our calculations to investigate the evolution of extrasolar giant planets of mass 0.15 to 3.0 M_J. Our inhomogeneous thermal history models show that the possible phase separation of helium from liquid metallic hydrogen in the deep interiors of these planets can lead to luminosities ~2 times greater than have been predicted by homogeneous models. For our chosen phase diagram this phase separation will begin to affect the planets' evolution at ~700 Myr for a 0.15 M_J object and ~10 Gyr for a 3.0 M_J object. We show…
As photosynthesis on Earth produces the primary signatures of life that can be detected astronomically at the global scale, a strong focus of the search for extrasolar life will be photosynthesis, particularly photosynthesis that has evolved with a different parent star. We take planetary atmospheric compositions simulated by Segura, et al. (2003, 2005) for Earth-like planets around observed F2V and K2V stars, modeled M1V and M5V stars, and around the active M4.5V star AD Leo; our scenarios use Earth's atmospheric composition as well as very low O2 content in case anoxygenic photosynthesis dom…
Context. Close-in giant extrasolar planets (''Hot Jupiters'') are believed to be strong emitters in the decametric radio range. Aims. We present the expected characteristics of the low-frequency magnetospheric radio emission of all currently known extrasolar planets, including the maximum emission frequency and the expected radio flux. We also discuss the escape of exoplanetary radio emission from the vicinity of its source, which imposes additional constraints on detectability. Methods. We compare the different predictions obtained with all four existing analytical models for all currently kn…
In this paper we directly constrain possible spatial variations of the Newtonian gravitational constant G over ranges 0.01-5 AU in various extrasolar multi-planet systems. By means of the third Kepler's law we determine the quantity Γ_ XY=G_X/G_Y for each couple of planets X and Y located at different distances from their parent star: deviations of the measured values of Γfrom unity would signal variations of G. The obtained results for η=1-Γare found to be well compatible with zero within the experimental errors (η/δη= 0.2-0.3). A comparison with an analogous test previously performed in our …
"Hot Jupiter" extrasolar planets are expected to be tidally locked because they are close (<0.05 astronomical units, where 1 AU is the average Sun-Earth distance) to their parent stars, resulting in permanent daysides and nightsides. By observing systems where the planet and star periodically eclipse each other, several groups have been able to estimate the temperatures of the daysides of these planets. A key question is whether the atmosphere is able to transport the energy incident upon the dayside to the nightside, which will determine the temperature at different points on the planet's sur…
Planetary companions to the source stars of a caustic-crossing binary microlensing events can be detected via the deviation from the parent light curves created when the caustic magnifies the star light reflecting off the atmosphere or surface of the planets. The magnitude of the deviation is delta_p e_p rho_p^{-1/2}, where e_p is the fraction of starlight reflected by the planet and rho_p is the angular radius of the planet in units of angular Einstein ring radius. Due to the extraordinarily high resolution achieved during the caustic crossing, the detailed shapes of these perturbations are s…
We describe the discovery of HAT-P-4b, a low-density extrasolar planet transiting BD+36 2593, a V = 11.2 mag slightly evolved metal-rich late F star. The planet's orbital period is 3.056536+/-0.000057 d with a mid-transit epoch of 2,454,245.8154 +/- 0.0003 (HJD). Based on high-precision photometric and spectroscopic data, and by using transit light curve modeling, spectrum analysis and evolutionary models, we derive the following planet parameters: Mp= 0.68 +/- 0.04 MJ, Rp= 1.27 +/- 0.05 RJ, rho = 0.41 +/- 0.06 g cm-3 and a = 0.0446 +/- 0.0012 AU. Because of its relatively large radius, togeth…
We consider the metallicities and kinematics of nearby stars known to have planetary-mass companions in the general context of the overall properties of the local Galactic Disk. We have used Stromgren photometry to determine abundances for both the extrasolar-planet host stars and for a volume-limited sample of 486 F, G and K stars selected from the Hipparcos catalogue. The latter data show that the Sun lies near the modal abundance of the disk, with over 45% of local stars having super-solar metallicities. Twenty of the latter stars (4.1%) are known to have planetary-mass companions. Using th…
We report on the BVRI multi-band follow-up photometry of the transiting extrasolar planet HD 189733b. We revise the transit parameters and find planetary radius RP = 1.154+/- 0.032RJ and inclination i_P = 85.79+/-0.24deg. The new density (~ 1g cm-3) is significantly higher than the former estimate (~ 0.75g cm-3); this shows that from the current sample of 9 transiting planets, only HD 209458 (and possibly OGLE-10b) have anomalously large radii and low densities. We note that due to the proximity of the parent star, HD 189733b currently has one of the most precise radius determinations among ex…
Pupil-mapping is a technique whereby a uniformly-illuminated input pupil, such as from starlight, can be mapped into a non-uniformly illuminated exit pupil, such that the image formed from this pupil will have suppressed sidelobes, many orders of magnitude weaker than classical Airy ring intensities. Pupil mapping is therefore a candidate technique for coronagraphic imaging of extrasolar planets around nearby stars. The pupil mapping technique is lossless, and preserves the full angular resolution of the collecting telescope, so it could possibly give the highest signal-to-noise ratio of any p…
The Hubble Space Telescope is uniquely able to study planets that are observed to transit their parent stars. The extremely stable platform afforded by an orbiting spacecraft, free from the contaminating effects of the Earth's atmosphere, enables HST to conduct ultra-high precision photometry and spectroscopy of known transiting extrasolar planet systems. Among HST's list of successful observations of the first such system, HD 209458, are (1) the first detection of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet, (2) the determination that gas is escaping from the planet, and (3) a search for Earth-siz…
The evolution of a giant planet within the stellar envelope of a main-sequence star is investigated as a possible mechanism for enhancing the stellar metallicities of the parent stars of extrasolar planetary systems. Three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of a planet subject to impacting stellar matter indicate that the envelope of a Jupiter-like giant planet can be completely stripped in the outer stellar convection zone of a solar-mass star. In contrast, Jupiter-like and less massive Saturn-like giant planets are able to survive through the base of the convection zone of a 1.22 solar-m…
We present a statistical study of the post-formation migration of giant planets in a range of initial disk conditions. For given initial conditions we model the evolution of giant planet orbits under the influence of disk, stellar, and mass loss torques. We determine the mass and semi-major axis distribution of surviving planets after disk dissipation, for various disk masses, lifetimes, viscosities, and initial planet masses. The majority of planets migrate too fast and are destroyed via mass transfer onto the central star. Most surviving planets have relatively large orbital semi-major axes …
We present results of a reconnaissance for stellar companions to all 131 radial-velocity-detected candidate extrasolar planetary systems known as of July 1, 2005. CPM companions were investigated using the multi-epoch DSS images, and confirmed by matching the trigonometric parallax distances of the primaries to companion distances estimated photometrically. We also attempt to confirm or refute companions listed in the Washington Double Star Catalog, the Catalogs of Nearby Stars, in Hipparcos results, and in Duquennoy & Mayor (1991). Our findings indicate that a lower limit of 30 (23%) of the 1…
The primary difficulty with using transits to discover extrasolar planets is the low probability a planet has of transiting its parent star. One way of overcoming this difficulty is to search for transits in dense stellar fields, such as the Galactic bulge. Here I estimate the number of planets that might be detected from a monitoring campaign toward the bulge. A campaign lasting 10 nights on a 10 meter telescope (assuming 8 hours of observations per night and a 5'x5' field of view) would detect about 100 planets with radius $\rp=1.5 \rjup$, or about 30 planets with $\rp=1.0 \rjup$, if the fre…
We have reconstructed the galactic orbits of the parent stars of exoplanets. For comparison, we have recalculated the galactic orbits of stars from the Edvardsson et al.(1993) catalog. A comparison between the two samples indicates that stars with planets are not kinematically peculiar. At each perigalactic distance stars with planets have a metallicity systematically larger than the average for the comparison sample. We argue that this result favors scenarios where the presence of planets is the cause of the higher metallicity of stars with planets.
We estimate flux ratios of the extrasolar planet XO-1b to its host star XO-1 at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0 microns with the IRAC on the Spitzer Space Telescope to be 0.00086 +/- 0.00007, 0.00122 +/- 0.00009, 0.00261 +/- 0.00031 and 0.00210 +/- 0.00029, respectively. The fluxes are inconsistent with a canonical cloudless model for the thermal emission from a planet and suggest an atmosphere with a thermal inversion layer and a possible stratospheric absorber. A newly emerging correlation between the presence of a thermal inversion layer in the planetary atmosphere and stellar insolation of the plane…
Moons of giant planets may represent an alternative to the classical picture of habitable worlds. They may exist within the circumstellar habitable zone of a parent star, and through tidal energy dissipation they may also offer alternative habitable zones, where stellar insolation plays a secondary, or complementary, role. We investigate the potential extent of stable satellite orbits around a set of 74 known extrasolar giant planets located beyond 0.6 AU from their parent stars - where moons should be long-lived with respect to removal by stellar tides. Approximately 60% of these giant planet…
